Chennai: The Madras High Court today (Feb 4, 2004) permitted Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader and Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) detenue Vaiko to leave the city after intimating the investigating officer in the case of his whereabouts.

A Division Bench comprising Justice V S Sirpurkar and Justice S M Ebrahim Kalifullah directed Vaiko to give an undertaking to abide by the bail conditions instead of an affidavit as specified by the designated POTA judge L Rajendran while granting him bail yesterday.

The Bench gave its interim order while hearing a petition filed by Vaiko seeking to set aside some of the conditions imposed by the trial court.

The trial court had also directed Vaiko to file an affidavit agreeing to abide by all the bail conditions.

The POTA court had also directed him to appear in person in the court on all working days and fully cooperate in the conduct of the trial on a day-to-day basis, as directed by the Madras High Court while granting bail to eight other MDMK partymen, who were arrested along with Vaiko in July 2002.

The other bail conditions included that under no circumstance, the petitioner would cause the court to adjourn the case on the ground that he was unable to attend the court or that he had not engaged any counsel on his behalf. Vaiko is appearing party-in-person in the case.

The POTA judge also directed him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties for a like amount. He had also made it clear that bail would become applicable only if Vaiko gave a signed affidavit agreeing to the bail conditions.

Vaiko was arrested in July 2002 for allegedly speaking in favour of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at a public meeting in Tirumangalam in Madurai district in June that year. He had moved the special court, seeking bail on Jan 13, a day after eight party colleagues, who were also arrested along with him, were granted bail by the Madras High Court.